Highlands Sponsors Ladies in Red

Highlands Health System Supports Heart Disease Awareness with Ladies in Red

Highlands Health System and Highlands Heart & Vascular Center sponsored the Ladies in Red event to bring heart disease awareness to the women of the Big Sandy region.

Throughout the day, Highlands offered complimentary screenings which included an array of testing - blood pressure, electrolytes, cholesterol, triglycerides, hemoglobin and glucose. Nutrition and exercise experts, along with diabetes and bariatric educators were available for one-on-one discussions and to answer questions.

Mrs. Jean Dorton was the Master of Ceremonies providing a positive personality with some light comedy. She opened the Ladies in Red Luncheon with Heart Health for Life, a clinical discussion featuring Dr. Joel Shapiro, Dr. Ghassan Dalati and Dr. Vaughn Payne. Dr. Shapiro, who runs the Highlands Heart & Vascular Center, provided excellent cardiac information, tips on preventive care and answered many audience questions such as the signs of a heart attack, which can often be very different in women than in men. Dr. Dalati and Dr. Payne supported the Heart Health for Life discussion, adding their experiences with female heart patients, different medications and certain types of exercise.

Following the doctors was Ernest Brewer, Highlands’ Director of Physical Therapy, who gave an exceptionally motivating talk on how to exercise your way to a healthy heart. Ernest says that folks often tell him they don’t exercise at all and ask “What is the best type of exercise?” He tells them “Any exercise!” Ernest recommends you do anything as long as you are staying active. He suggests that you find something that you will like and can stick with. And he speaks from experience. Over the past year, Ernest has lost over 40 lbs.

Amy Hyden and Cindy Scott, Highlands’ Clinical Dieticians, demonstrated Heart Healthy Foods to the Ladies in Red attendees. This included easy substitutions to their diet, such as using unsweetened applesauce instead of oil. Some of the attendees had already tried this and commented that it made your baked items more moist as well. Maybe having a healthy heart isn’t so hard after all.

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